Housing apparatus.



`No.'688,634. Patentedv Dec. I0, |901. H. w..snAY & n. c. HonToN.

. HUUSING APPARATUS.

(Application led Apr. 20, 1901.)

2 Shouts-Sheet I..

(No Model.;

l wNonms persas oo., Pnormn'no.. wunmarcn. o. c.

No. 688,634. Patented Dec. lo, |901.

H. w. GRM/a n. c'. Hmmm HOUSING APPARATUS.

(Application ille-'1 Apr. 20, 1901.)

(Ilo Model.)

2 Sheets--Sheet- 2.

yUNITED ASTATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY lV. GRAY AND RILEY C. HORTON, OF KEOKUK, IOWA..

HOUSING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,634, dated December-10, 1901.

" Application fini April zo, 1901. seria No. 56,761. (No modi-.1.)

ATo, c/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY \V. GRAY and RILEY C. HoR'roN, citizens of the United States, residing at Keokulnin the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Housing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. p j

1Our invention is an improved apparatus for housing stringere of stairs of any desired pitch without the necessity of laying oit' the treads and risers by a square or otherwise; and it Aconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth andclaiined.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a housing apparatus 'constructed in accordance with our invention,

showing the same disposed in operative position on Vthe table of a boring or routing machine having a vertically-disposed cuttingbit adapted for routing out the grooves of the Stringer of a staircasefor the treads and risers. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line' d ct of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is 4a similar View taken on a plane indicated by 'the line b b of Fig. 2.

4 In the embodiment of our invention we provide a'base-frame 1, in which are right-angled slots 2 3, each of suitable length and breadth, the former corresponding to the tread of a stairstrin ger and the latter corresponding to a riser thereof. The slot 2projects beyond the slot 3 to form the nose 4, and a nosepiece 5 is secured on the said base-frame by means of set-screws 6, which operate in slots 7, with which said nosepiece is provided, and therebythe latter is adjustable, so that the nosings of the stairs may project beyond the risers to any extent desired. On one side of the riser-slot 3 is an adjustable straight-edged piece 8, which is secured on the base-frame by set-screws 9, that operate in adjusting-slots 10, with which said piece '8"- is provided. Thereby the slot 3 may be narrowed or widened to any desired extent. An adjusting-bar 12 is pivoted on the base-frame by a pivot-screw or other suitable device 13. At the outer end of said adjusting-bar is a head 14, which is provided with a slot 15, the latter being concentric with the pivot 13. A setscrew 16, which operates in said slot 15, is adapted to secure the said adjusting-bar on the base-frame at any desired angle with relation to the slots 2 3. On lthe said adj usting-bar is placed a pitch-f rame 17, which may be either of the construction here shown or any other suitable construction and has a straightedge 18 on `its inner side, which is at right angles to the adjusting-bar 12, the latter being centrally located with relation to theV pitch-frame. Projections 19, which form a flange on the straight edge 18, rise from the upper side of the said pitchframe. The latter is adjust-able on the adjusting-bar 12 and, as here shown, is secured thereto by set-screws 20., The said .adjusting-bar is provided with series of adjustingopenings 21, adapted to be engaged by the said adjusting-screws. The pitch-frame must be set on the adjusting-bar in such manner that the distance between the nose of slot 2 and the straight edge 18 will be equal to the distance desired between thernose and the upper edge of the stringer. The pitch-frame being secured to the adj usting-bar 12 at right angles thereto and said adj usting-bar 12 being pivotally attached to and adjustable on the said base-frame, it follows that the straight edge 18 of said pitch-frame may be set at any desired angle with relation to the tread and riser slots of the base-frame, according to the pitch of the stairs. At the edge of the pitchframe opposite the straight edge 18 is a lug or ear 22, in which is a clamping-screw 23, by means of which the stair-Stringer, which is indicated at A in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, may be clamped in position on the pitch-frame with its upper edge in line with the straight edge 18 of said pitch-frame. Y

A space-bar 24, which is preferably made of suitable spring metal, is adj ustably secured at one end on one of the projections 19 by a set-screw 25, which operates in au adjustingslot 26, with which said space-bar is provided. The opposite end of said space-bar is pivotally connected, as at 26, to the inner end of a link 27, which is also preferably made of spring metal. Said link is provided with an adjusting-slot 28. A set-screw 29 in said slot adjustably secures said link on the projection 19 which is opposite the adjusting-screw 25. Thereby the space-bar may be set at any desired angle with relation to the straight edge 18, according to the pitch of the stairs.

` is a depending pin or roller 30.

In operation our-improved housing apparatus is placed on the bed or table B of a suitable 'boring or` routingl machine and ini- .iially the nose of tread slot 2 is engaged bya pin C, which rises from thesaid bed or table B directly in line vertically with the routing or cutting bit D, which is indicated in dotted lines in Figs.l l and 3. The pin C is of suitable diameter, and in practice We provide a number of these pins of various diameters, which may be interchangeably used on the bed or table B, being readily removable therefrom. Having set .the adj Listing-bar 12, and hence the pitch-frame 17, to the desired angle with relation tothe tread and riser slots of the base-frame by the means and in the manner hereinbefore described and having adjusted the pitch-frame on the adjusting-,bar 12 according to the desired height 'of the Stringer above the nosing, the Stringer is placed on the pitch-frame with one end of lthe Stringer bearing thereon, the Stringer is clamped' in position on the pitch-trame` by the clamping-screw 23, which coacts with the projections 19'for this purpose, the cutting or routing bit D is then lowered to operative position on the strin ger and-set in motion, and

the Stringer by meansof our housing apparatus is then' cut by the bit or cutter D, the latter following the slots 2 3 by reason otfthe pin C, which is adapted to traverse the slots, the apparatus being appropriately moved by the operator.v The space-bar 24: is adjusted according to the width of the treads and the pitch of the stairs. Having cut the riser and tread grooves in the Stringer for one step, the strin ger is then read justed on the pitch-frame and set thereon with the pin 30 of said spacebar in engagement Withh the nose of the comthe routing-or cutting bit iscaused to cut iirstjone side Vand then the other of each groove in the Stringer. pins C of diderent diameters the grooves in the Stringer may be cut any vdesired Width.

` The sides of the Slot 2 of the base-frame may' be paralled or they may slight] y diverge from the nose if it be desirable to correspondingly cuty the tread-groove in order to facilitate the insertion of the ends of the treads therein in v the` erection of the staircase.-

By having a series ot' j By reversing the position of the base-frame our improved apparatus may be employed both for right and left hand stairs.

. I-Iaviug thus described our invention, We claim- 1. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a base-frame having tread and riser Slots, a pitch-frame adjustable on said base-frame, a space-bar having a slot at one end, a set-screw in said slot, and securing said space-bar to said pitch-frame, a link pivotally connected to the opposite end of said space-bar, said link having a slot, and a set-screw in said slot, connecting said spacebar to Said pitch-frame, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a base-frame having tread and riser slots, a bar pivoted on said baseframe, means to secure said bar to said baseframe, at any desired adjustment, a pitchframe secured and adjustable on said bar, a spaces-bar secured to one Side of the pitchframe, said space-bar being adjustable, and means to secure a Stair-Stringer on saidpitchframe, substantially as described.

3. In'an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a base-frame'havingrghtangled slots for the purpose set forth, a bar pivoted on said base-frame, means to secure said bar to saidbase-frame at any desired ad= justment, and a pitch-frame secured andadthe combination of a base-frame having tread and riser slots, a pitch-frame adjustable on .said base-frame and a space-'bar adjustable of a stair, and means to vary the Width ot'v said riser-slot, with a pitch-frame connected to and adjustable lou said base-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as Our own we have hereto affixedy our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY W. GRAY. RILEY o. HoRToN.

Witnesses:

J. A. WHETsfroNn,l B. F. SMITH.

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